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Martin shocker: Carfeful-growth majority finally wins

For the first time in 12 years, careful growth proponents will be a voting majority on the Martin County Commission. Some expected and many hoped for that outcome in Tuesday’s primary, but it’s still a shocker.

Sally Swartz

In my 33 years in Martin, the commission hasn’t had a majority of three since 2000 and never has had four commissioners who favor controlled growth.

It’s odd that a county where most residents like a rural, small-town atmosphere would keep a commission majority that favors unbridled growth in power for such a long time. One reason: The folks who favor controlled growth often can’t agree on a single candidate to support. That creates a three-person race. Two controlled growth candidates split the vote and the development-friendly candidate wins —usually with less than 50 percent of the vote.

This year, residents had other worries. Two huge developments and an extreme water sports park were proposed west of Hobe Sound and the commission majority seemed ready to rubber-stamp all three.

Commissioner Patrick Hayes’ flip-flop votes and his decision to hoist a few with water park applicants after a commission meeting hurt him. Commissioner Ed Ciampi, who lost his run for the Clerk of Courts job Tuesday, at first ignored residents who were unhappy with the water park proposal. Commissioner Doug Smith, the third man in the current majority, won this time because two warring slow-growth candidates again split the vote in his race.

Controlled growth advocate John Haddox, who won 57 percent of the vote to trounce Brandon Tucker, joins careful growth Commissioners Sarah Heard and Ed Fielding to make the new majority. Jupiter Islander Anne Scott, who earned almost 59 percent of the vote to defeat Mr. Hayes, will be the fourth controlled growth vote on the commission. She still must face no-party candidate Craig Woll Nov. 6. Mr. Woll, who some thought might drop out of the race if Ms. Scott won, said this week he’s still in it.

Those out-of-county political action committees that filled mailboxes with attack ads and had phones ringing with polls and robo calls didn’t help commission candidates Mr. Hayes and Mr. Tucker. The Committee to Protect Florida paid for five of Mr. Hayes’ six mailers and all his newspaper ads. Three different statewide PACs paid for Mr. Tucker’s mailings and ads.

William Snyder, who won the Sheriff’s race over David Dees and John Pietruszewski, may have benefited from attack ads smearing Mr. Dees. Mr. Snyder’s 14 mailers included six paid for by an outside PAC and a police group. Mr. Snyder said he wasn’t responsible for the ads.

Having a third candidate in their races allowed both Commissioner Smith and Mr. Snyder to win with less than 50 percent of the vote. Mr. Smith, who has supported such bad developments as Renar River Place that forever blocked river views in Jensen Beach and usually backs any growth proposal without question, earned 44 percent of the vote.

Florida election laws can be challenging to figure out. In some races, such as school board, candidates must earn 50 percent plus one to win. But that doesn’t apply to county commission or sheriff’s races where “winner takes all” is the rule.

Ms. Scott’s last opponent, Mr. Woll, attended her party. He said he still wants the job, and that he expects to be approached by developers, but will not take campaign money from them or from outside PACs.

Even though the two big residential developments are on hold for now and the commission unanimously killed the water park, it wasn’t enough. In this election, residents were worried that the old majority’s constant chipping away at Martin’s protective growth plan would change the county’s easy-going, nature-loving lifestyle. Now it’s safe — at least until the next election.

Sally Swartz is a former member of The Post Editorial Board. Her e-mail address is sdswartz42@comcast.net